/ 


?X5- 


GIFT  OF 
Mrs.   I.   M.   Aiken 


yjm^rio 


Ube  XKHls&om  of  tbe  Bast  Series 

Edited  by 

L.   CRANMER-BYNG 

Dr.   S.   A.    KAPADIA 


THE    RUBA'IYAT   OF   HAFIZ 


First  Edition    .       •       .        .    October,  1910 
ReJ>rinted  .        »        ♦        •        .         Julv,  19 12 


WISDOM   OF  THE  EAST 

THE    RUBA'IYAT 
OF    HAFIZ 

TRANSLATED  WITH   INTRODUCTION 

BY  SYED  ABDUL  MAJID,  LL.D. 

RENDERED  INTO  ENGLISH  iVERSE 

BY  L.  CRANMER-BYNG 


**  By  cup  is  meant  the  wine  of  eternity, 
And  by  this  wine  we  mean  self-annihilation." 

Saki-nama  of  Hafi2, 


NEW  YORK 

E.  P.  BUTTON   AND   COMPANY 
191S 


Printed  by  Sazell,  WaUo,^  ^  Viney,  U.,  Imulon  an^  Aymury,  Bnglana. 


CONTENTS 

Introduction 7 

RuBA'iYi(T  OF  HAriz 39 

Explanatory  Notes  to  Ruba'iyXt   ,        .  57 

Appendix  to  Introduction       .        .        p  69 


EDITORIAL   NOTE 

The  object  of  the  Editors  of  this  series  is  a  very 
definite  one.  They  desire  above  all  things  that, 
in  their  humble  way,  these  books  shall  be  the 
ambassadors  of  good-will  and  understanding 
between  East  and  West — the  old  world  of 
Thought  and  the  new  of  Action.  In  this  en- 
deavourj  and  in  their  own  sphere,  they  are  but 
followers  of  the  highest  example  in  the  land. 
They  are  confident  that  a  deeper  knowledge  of 
the  great  ideals  and  lofty  philosophy  of  Oriental 
thought  may  help  to  a  revival  of  that  true  spirit 
of  Charity  which  neither  despises  nor  fears  the 
nation  of  another  creed  and  colour. 

L.  CEANMER-BYNG. 
S.  A.  KAPADIA. 

nobthbrook  society, 
21  Cromwell  Road, 
Kensington,  S.VV. 


THE  RUBA'IYAT  OF  HAFIZ 


INTRODUCTION 

Life  of  Hafiz 

KhwAja  Shamsuddin  Mohammad,  better  known 
by  his  takhaUus  {nom-de-plume)  Hafiz,  the  most 
national  and  the  most  popular  of  the  Persian 
poets,  was  born  in  Shiraz  in  the  early  part  of  the 
fourteenth  century.  The  exact  date  of  his  birth 
has  been  a  fruitful  source  of  discussion  among 
his  biographers  and  is  still  a  matter  of  doubt. 
Little  is  known  of  his  family  beyond  this,  that  it 
was  good.  Like  many  men  of  genius,  both  in 
Europe  and  Asia,  he  did  not  claim  a  wealthy 
parentage.  He  was  educated  in  the  common 
school  of  poverty,  and  went  through  the  same 
discipline  as  other  men  of  genius.  In  his  youth 
he  became  a  disciple  of  Sheikli  Mohammad  Attar, 
a  learned  sufiistic  teacher  in  Shiraz.  Unlike 
other  mystics  of  the  time.  Attar  did  not  give  him- 
self completely  up  to  a  life  of  asceticism.     He 


8  INTRODUCTION 

had  truly  grasped  the  philosophy  of  life  by 
neglecting  neither  the  body  nor  the  mind.  The 
physical  world  and  the  world  of  intellect  were 
of  equal  importance  to  him.  His  disciple,  the 
youthful  Hafiz,  was  not  slow  to  learn  this  useful 
lesson,  which  enabled  him  to  steer  through  many 
difficulties.  Wise  and  wholesome  as  the  teaching 
was,  it  did  not  fail  to  bring  the  wrath  of  other 
Sufis  down  upon  them.  Some  of  these  Sufis 
clothed  themselves  in  blue  garments  in  imitation 
of  the  colour  of  the  sky,  while,  like  the  sky,  they 
claimed  to  possess  within  themselves  heavenly 
desires.  Like  Omar,  Hafiz  found  it  difficult  to 
keep  silent  on  what  appeared  to  him  only  a 
cloak  of  hypocrisy.  Referring  to  them  in  one 
of  his  poems,  he  says  :  "  I  am  the  servant  of  all 
who  scatter  dregs  of  the  cup  and  are  clothed  in 
one  colour  [i.e,  in  sincerity],  but  not  of  those 
whose  bodies  are  clad  in  blue  while  black  is  the 
colour  of  their  hearts." 

Hafiz  never  submitted  to  any  strict  monastic 
rule,  and  when  he  assumed  the  dervish  habit  he 
took  care  to  temper  his  orthodoxy  with  the  free 
doctrines  learnt  from  his  teacher. 

About  four  miles  from  Shiraz  there  is  a  place 
called  Pir-e-Sabz,  i.e.  Green  Pir,  situated  on  a  hill 
called  Baba  Kohi.  It  was  said  that  if  any  one 
passed  forty  nights  in  that  place  without  sleep 
he  would  achieve  the  gift  of  composing  poems. 
Hafiz  determined  to  go  through  the  discipline. 


LIFE  OF  HAFIZ  9 

He  used  to  pass  nights  there,  while  at  daytime 
he  used  to  take  rest.  About  the  same  time  he 
fell  violently  in  love  with  a  damsel  named  Shakh-e- 
Nabat  (Branch  of  Candy),  who  paid  little  heed 
to  the  suit  of  Hafiz  ;  but  on  the  fortieth  day 
she  called  him  in  and  said  that  she  preferred  a 
man  of  genius  to  a  prince.  Like  the  enchantress 
in  the  Isle  of  Bliss,  she  would  have  kept  him 
from  completing  the  course  ;  but  Hafiz  remem- 
bered his  vow  and  returned  to  Pir-e-Sabz.  At 
the  dawn  of  the  day  he  fell  into  a  trance,  wherein 
he  saw  Khwaja  Khizar,  the  most  learned  of  the 
Prophets,  revealing  himself  to  him.  He  blessed 
him  with  the  gift  of  eloquence  and  poetry.  On 
recovering  his  consciousness  he  greeted  his 
beloved  with  enchanting  eloquence  and  verses. 
Thus,  it  is  said,  Hafiz  became  a  poet. 

The  great  poetical  gifts  of  Hafiz  were  revealed 
by  an  accident,  which  so  often  accounts  for  the 
origin  of  wonderful  things  in  this  world.  His 
uncle,  named  Sadi,  who  used  to  dabble  in  poetry, 
had  found  his  power  to  compose  beyond  the 
first  verse  of  a  poem  unavailing,  and  had  given 
it  up  in  despair.  While  he  was  away  Hafiz  not 
only  completed  the  verse,  but  afterwards  com- 
pleted the  whole  poem.  As  uncles  proverbially 
do,  he  grew  jealous  of  the  young  poet  and  cursed 
him  and  his  works.  It  is  still  believed  that  the 
curse  hangs  over  his  Diwdn,  and  that  he  who 
makes  a  special  study  of  that  beautiful  collection 


10  INTRODUCTION 

of  poems  is  bound  to  become  afflicted  in  reason. 
It  is  true  enough  ;  for  the  poems  are  so  fine  that 
one  cannot  help  having  his  senses  charmed  away 
while  studying  them. 

There  are  various  periods  in  the  life  of  Hafiz 
showing  how  he  passed  his  days  under  the 
patronage  of  various  people.  His  first  patron 
was  Shah  Ishak,  Governor  of  Shiraz  ;  but  he 
was  taken  prisoner  by  Mobarezuddin  Mohammad 
Mozaffar  and  executed  outside  the  Persepolis. 
This  happened  in  1357.  Mozaffar  suffered  for 
his  wicked  deed  at  the  hands  of  his  own  son, 
Shah  Shuja,  who  caused  his  eyes  to  be  put  out. 
He  extended  his  patronage  to  Hafiz  ;  but,  being 
only  a  minor  poet,  was  very  jealous  of  his  greater 
rival.  He  lost  no  opportunity  of  criticising  Hafiz 
and  his  poems.  On  one  occasion,  defeated  in  the 
trial  of  wits,  he  said  to  Hafiz,  "  In  one  and 
the  same  you  write  of  wine,  of  Stifiism,  and  of 
the  objects  of  your  affections.  Now  this  is  con- 
trary to  the  practice  of  the  eloquent." 

Hafiz,  in  reply,  is  reported  to  have  said,  "  That 
which  your  majesty  has  deigned  to  speak  is  the 
essence  of  the  truth  ;  yet  the  poems  of  Hafiz 
enjoy  a  wide  celebrity,  whereas  those  of  some 
other  writers  have  not  passed  beyond  the  gates 
of  Shiraz."  Beyond  such  occasional  difference 
in  literary  matters.  Shah  Shuja  treated  the  poet 
well — a  fact  which  Hafiz  fully  appreciated. 
"Since  the  time,"  said  Hafiz,  "that  the  wine- 


LIFE  OF  HAFIZ  11 

cup  received  honour  from  Shah  Shuja,  Fortune 
has  put  the  goblet  of  joy  into  the  hands  of  all 
wine-drinkers." 

Again,  in  praise  of  the  Shah,  he  said,  "  May 
the  ball  of  the  heavens  be  for  ever  in  the  crook  of 
thy  polo-stick,  and  the  whole  world  be  a  playing- 
ground  unto  thee.  The  fame  of  thy  goodness 
has  attained  to  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth  ; 
may  it  be  for  all  time  a  guardian  unto  thee  !  " 

In  order  to  draw  the  ire  of  the  theologians  of 
Shiraz,  the  Shah  accused  Hafiz  of  having  written 
lines  which  occur  in  Ghazal,  No.  528  (last  two  lines), 
expressing  that  the  faith  of  Hafiz  was  unorthodox. 
Fortunately  for  the  poet,  he  came  to  know  of  it 
before  they  sat  in  judgment  over  his  lines  and  his 
fate.  He  at  once  added  a  line  putting  it  into  the 
mouth  of  a  Christian,  there  being  no  harm  in  a 
Christian  calling  in  question  the  faith  of  Hafiz. 
The  decision  was  a  foregone  conclusion.  Hafiz 
was  acquitted  and  the  Shah  censured  for  his 
groundless  accusation. 

Kawamuddin  (d.  1363),  the  vizier,  was  his 
patron  too.  He  founded  a  college  for  Hafiz  in 
Shiraz.  Hafiz  there  gave  lectures  on  the  Quoran 
and  read  out  his  own  verses.  Riza  Kuli  says  that 
he  wrote  a  valuable  commentary  on  the  Quoran. 
His  fame  as  a  teacher  spread  far  and  wide  and 
drew  hosts  of  seekers  after  knowledge  from  all 
parts  of  the  world  to  Shiraz. 

Hafiz  seems  to  have  entertained  a  very  high 


12  INTRODUCTION 

appreciation  of  the  liberality  of  the  vizier.  It 
is  apparent  from  Kitd  (No.  581),  where  he  asks 
the  chamberlain  to  remind  him  of  the  allowance 
due  to  the  poet,  or  from  Kitd  (No.  605),  where 
he  mourns  his  loss  and  practically  says  that 
liberality  has  come  to  an  end  after  him.  Again, 
in  Ghazal  (No.  412)  he  speaks  of  him  in  the 
highest  terms  of  praise.  He  reserves  to  himself 
the  gift  of  sweet  song  and  eloquence  and  extends 
to  the  vizier  the  gift  of  generosity,  spreading, 
like  the  lights  over  all  the  world. 

Hafiz  was  induced  to  pay  a  visit  to  Shah 
Yehya  of  Yezd  ;  but  was  unfortunately  treated 
with  coldness.  In  Ohazal  (No.  477)  he  says  : 
"  Shah  Hormuz  did  me  many  acts  of  kindness 
without  seeing  me  and  without  myself  praising 
him,  while  the  Shah  of  Yezd  saw  me — and  I 
sang  his  praises — and  gave  me  nothing.  O 
Hafiz  !  Do  not  be  put  out,  as  such  are  the  ways 
of  kings."  It  was  such  treatment  which  made 
him  home-sick  and  made  him  exclaim  :  "  Why 
should  I  not  return  to  mine  own  home  ?  Why 
should  I  not  lay  my  dust  in  the  street  of  mine 
own  beloved  ?  My  bosom  cannot  endure  the 
sorrows  of  exile  ;  let  me  return  to  mine  own 
city,  let  me  be  master  of  my  heart's  desire." 

Sultan  Owais  of  Bagdad  (d.  1374)  seems  at 
first  to  have  extended  kindness  to  the  poet,  but 
to  have  cooled  down  afterwards.  The  lines  of 
Ghazal    (No.  204)  bear  this  out,  and   Hafiz  re- 


LIFE  OF  HAFIZ  13 

proachfully  says  that  the  fault  does  not  lie  at 
his  door. 

Quite  in  contrast  with  the  behaviour  of  Sultan 
Owais  stands  that  of  Sultan  Alimed-i-Ilkhani 
(d.  1410)  of  Bagdad.  He  made  liberal  offers  to  the 
poet,  only  to  be  refused.  Hafiz,  however,  speaks 
very  highly  of  him  in  Ghazal  (No.  497),  and  calls 
him  the  "  Khan,  son  of  Khan,"  "  Emperor  of 
imperial  descent,"  "  the  soul  of  the  world,"  "  as 
liberal  as  a  Khakan  and  as  energetic  as  Changiz." 

The  fame  of  Hafiz  spread  even  to  the  heart 
of  the  distant  kingdoms  of  Bengal  and  the 
Deccan.  About  the  year  1369  he  was  invited  by 
Ghyasuddin  Purbi,  King  of  Bengal.  No  induce- 
ment was  strong  enough  for  Hafiz  to  make  him 
leave  Shiraz,  with  its  charming  surroundings  and 
enchanting  society.  He  wrote  an  apology  for 
not  being  able  to  attend  the  court  of  Bengal  in 
Ghazal  (No.  158),  and  was  handsomely  rewarded. 

Having  heard  of  the  esteem  in  which  he  was 
regarded  at  the  court  of  Sultan  Mohammad  Shah 
Bahmani,  King  of  the  Deccan,^  Hafiz  desired  to 
pay  a  visit  to  it ;  but  was  unable  to  defray  the 
expenses  of  travelling.  This  reached  the  ears 
of  Mir  FazluUah  Anjoo,  the  vizier  of  the  Sultan, 
who  at  once  sent  him  the  necessary  amount. 
Having  paid  part  of  it  to  his  creditors  and  his 
relations,  he  proceeded  as  far  as  Lahur.  Highway 
robbery  was  very  frequent  in  those  days,  and  so 
^  Farishta,  the  historian,  narrates  this. 


14  INTRODUCTION 

the  poet  deemed  it  more  prudent  to  lend  the 
remainder  to  a  friend.  Thus  becoming  once 
more  penniless,  he  returned  to  Hurmuz  with  two 
Persian  merchants.  There  he  embarked  on  the 
ship  sent  by  the  Sultan  to  convey  him  to  India ; 
but  a  storm  arose.  The  sight  of  a  boundless  sea 
frightened  him  out  of  his  wits.  His  heart  sank, 
and  the  next  moment  found  him  on  the  shore 
singing  the  praises  of  God  and  of  the  beauties  of 
Shiraz.  To  the  kind  vizier  he  wrote  the  following 
lines,  which  I  take  from  the  admirable  translation 
of  Colonel  Clarke : 

To  pass  life  a  single  moment  in  grief,  a  world  altogether 

is  not  worth. 
For  wine,  sell  our  rugged  religious  garment ;    for  more 

than  this  it  is  not  worth. 
At  first,  in  hope  of  profit,  easy  appeared  the  toil  of  the 

sea  ; 
A  mistake  I  made  ;  for  a  hundred  jewels  this  great  deluge 

(ocean)  is  not  worth 
The  pomp  of  the  imperial  crown — whose  grandeur  is  fear 

of  life ; 
Is  vainly  a  heart-alluring  crown  ;  but  the  abandoning  of 

one's  life  is  not  worth. 

Time  passes  on  until  we  come  to  the  year  1392, 
whenTimur  (1336-1405),  fresh  from  his  victories 
in  Fars  and  against  Shah  Mansur  of  Irak,  ordered 
Hafiz  to  be  brought  before  him.  In  Ghazal  (No.  8), 
the  poet  says  that  if  his  beloved  would  captivate 
his  heart,  he  would  give  away  Samarcand  and 


LIFE  OF  HAFIZ  15 

Bokhara  for  her  black  mole.  Having  heard 
this,  Timur,  who  did  not  appreciate  this  liberality 
with  the  place  of  his  birth,  called  for  an  answer 
from  the  poet.  Hafiz  was  frightened,  but  his 
wit  saved  him.     He  said  : 

"  O  Sultan  of  the  world  !  Had  it  not  been 
for  this  way  of  giving  away,  I  would  not  have 
fallen  to  this  !  " 

Timur  felt  flattered,  and  rewarded  the  poet. 

Turning  to  the  home-life  of  Hafiz,  we  find  him 
married  and  father  of  a  son.  He  was  passionately 
attached  to  his  wife,  and  worshipped  his  son. 
He  survived  them  both  and  lamented  their  loss 
in  several  exquisite  poems. 

One  can  get  an  idea  of  the  attachment  Hafiz 
bore  to  his  wife  from  the  poem  written  when,  in 
a  moment  of  displeasure,  she  left  for  her  father's 
place,  or  the  one  written  to  bewail  her  death. 
The  reader  will  be  able  to  judge  from  the  following 
extracts  how  fine  the  originals  are  : 

O  holy  beloved  !     Who  will  unveil  thee  ? 

And  O  Bird  of  Paradise !  Who  will  give  com  and  water 
to  thee  ? 

Sleep  has  departed  from  my  eye,  in  this  liver-consuming 
thought, 

That  who  has  embraced  thee,  in  what  place  and  dwelling 
hast  slept  thou  ? 

Suddenly  thou  departed  from  the  embrace  of  me,  heart- 
scorched. 

Alas  !  what  place  has  received  the  luxury  of  thy  sleep  ? 

Thou  didst  not  hear  the  plaint  and  the  wail  that  I  made. 


16  INTRODUCTION 

It  is  evident,  0  idol !  that  thy  place  is  high  (t.e.  too  high 

for  my  voice  to  reach  thee). 
Thou  dost  not  ask  the  beggar  (i.e.  me),  and  I  am  afraid  that 
The  thought  of  forgiveness  and  the  desire  of  merit  (in 

consequence)  are  not  in  thee. 
O  palace,  heart-kindling  !    The  resting-place  for  affection 

that  thou  art ! 
O  God  !  the  calamity  of  time  may  not  ruin  it ! 
Beware  !  in  this  desert  the  fountain-head  is  far  away, 
So  that  the  ghoul  of  the  desert  may  not  deceive  thee  with 

mirage  (or  false  images). 
The  arrow  which  thou  shot  with  thy  glance,  missed. 
What  now  will  thy  good  judgment  think  ? 
O  heart !   on  what  principle  wilt  thou  travel  on  the  path 

of  old  age 
(If)  all  at  once  the  time  of  thy  youth  is  spent  in  a  wrong 

way  ? 
That  intoxicated  eye  struck  the  path  to  the  heart  of 

lovers ; 
It  is  manifest  from  this  way  that  thy  wine  is  intoxicated. 
Hafiz  is  not  the  kind  of  slave  who  will  fly  from  his  master. 
Be  kind,  and  come  back,  for  I  am  consumed  with  thy  wrath. 

This  was  written  to  his  wife.  Her  heart  was 
touched  ;  she  thought  better  of  her  decision  and 
returned,  to  his  great  delight. 

The  few  lines  of  the  other  poem  find  him 
bewailing  the  loss  of  the  one  whose  temporary 
absence  made  his  heart  ache. 

That  beloved  on  account  of  whom  my  house  the  abode  of 

Pari  (fairy)  was. 
From  head  to  foot  like  a  Pari,  free  from  defect  was. 
My  heart  said,  I  will  sojourn  in  this  city  which  is  perfumed 

by  her  scent. 


LIFE  OF  HAFIZ  17 

(I),  helpless,  did  not  know  that  my  beloved  bent  upon 

travelling  was. 
Not  only  from  the  mystery  of  my  heart  the  curtain  fell, 
When  the  habit  of  the  sky  (time)  to  tear  (the)  curtain  was. 
Acceptable  to  the  wise  that  moon  of  mine,  to  whom 
With  the  beauty  of  manner  the  habit  of  uplifting  with  a 

mere  glance  was. 
From  my  grasp  the  malignant  star  put  her  out, 
Alas  !   what  can  I  do  ?     This  the  calamity  of  the  moon's 

revolution  was. 
0  heart !    Find  an  excuse,  as  you  are  a  beggar  and  to  her. 
In  the  kingdom  of  beauty,  the  head  crowned  was. 
Pleasant  was  the  bank  of  water  and  the  rose  and  the 

verdure,  but 
Alas  !  that  moving  treasure  (beloved)  a  traveller  was. 
The  nightingale  (lover)  ^vill  kill  itself  out  of  anger  when 

to  the  rose  (beloved) 
With  the  morning  breeze  at  the  dawn  splendour  was. 
Happy  was  that  time  which  was  spent  with  the  beloved. 
The  rest  all  fruitless,  lacking  knowledge  was. 
Every  treasure  of  bliss  that  God  gave  to  Hafiz 
On  account  of  the  night-prayer  and  the  morning  suppli- 
cation was. 


He  mourns  the  loss  of  his  son  in  several  places, 
out  of  which  I  give  the  translation  of  Kitd  (No. 
606),  and  one  line  from  Ghazal  (No.  117). 

It  is  the  season  of  spring,  and  the  rose  and  the  tulip  and 

the  narcissus, 
Come  out  of  the  earth,  why  in  earth  art  thou  ? 
Like  the  spring  cloud  I  pass  on.     I  weep  bitter  tears 
Over  thj'^  dust  to  such  an  extent  (in  hopes)  that  thou  wilt 

oome  out  of  the  earth. 

KUd,  606. 

2 


18  INTRODUCTION 

The  ease  of  the  eye  of  mine,  that  fruit  of  my  heart,  ever 

be  his  memory ! 
That  went  himself  an  easy  journey  and  made  my  journey 

(through  life)  hard. 

Ghazcd,  117. 

Hafiz  died  towards  the  end  of  the  fourteenth 
century.  The  exact  date  of  his  demise  cannot 
be  ascertained.  According  to  the  slab  on  his 
tomb  it  happened  in  1388  ;  but  according  to 
other  evidences  it  is  put  down  to  have  happened 
in  1389,  1391,  or  1394. 

He  rests  in  the  garden  of  Mosalla,  about  two 
miles  north-east  of  Shiraz  on  the  bank  of  the 
river  Ruknabad,  of  which  he  sang  praises  in 
Ohazal  (No.  8).  Like  the  historic  mulberry-tree  in 
Christ  College,  Cambridge,  planted  by  Milton,  or 
the  tree  planted  by  Bacon  in  Gray's  Inn,  there 
was  a  famous  cypress-tree  planted  by  Hafiz  which 
*'  cast  its  shadow  o'er  the  dust  of  his  desire." 

In  1452  Sultan  Abul  Kasim  Baber  took  Shiraz. 
His  vizier,  Moulama  Mohammad  Muammai,  a 
great  admirer  of  Hafiz,  erected  a  monument  to 
adorn  the  site,  called  Hafiziana,  and  to  shelter 
the  grave  of  Hafiz.  About  the  year  1811  Vakil 
Kasim  Khan  Zand  placed  over  the  tomb  a  slab 
of  alabaster.     On  the  face  of  the  slab  is  inscribed  : 

O  Thou 

Who  endurest, 

although 

all  things  pass  away  I 


LIFE  OF  HAFIZ  19 

Below  are  inscribed  the  lines  of  Ghazal  (No.  439). 
It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  give  their  render- 
ings. 

Where  is  the  tidings  of  union  with  Thee,  that  with  my 

soul  I  may  rise  ? 
Bird  of  righteousness  am  I,  and  from  the  snare  of  the 

world  I  rise 
In  love  for  Thee  who  calleth  me,  Thy  slave. 
From  the  mastery  of  existence  and  dwelling  I  rise. 
0  God  !  out  of  the  cloud  of  guidance  send  a  shower 
Before  (the  time)  when  like  dust  from  amidst  (things)  I  rise. 
On  my  grave  without  wine  and  minstrel  do  not  sit, 
So  that  with  Thy  perfume  from  the  grave,  dancing,  I  rise. 
Although  I  am  old,  hold  me  close  to  Thy  bosom  for  a  night. 
So  that  in  the  morning  from  Thy  embrace  yoimg  I  rise. 
Get  up  and  show  your  stature,  O  idol !    with  graceful 

movement, 
So  that,  like  Hafiz,  from  the  desire  of  life  and  the  world  I 


Hafiz  as  a  Poet 

There  are  two  aspects  in  which  we  must  regard 
Hafiz — as  a  poet  and  as  a  philosopher.  In  the 
former  capacity  he  was  undoubtedly  of  the 
first  rank.  FitzGerald,  speaking  of  him,  says  : 
*'  Hafiz  is  the  most  Persian  of  the  Persians.  He 
is  the  best  representative  of  their  character, 
whether  his  Saki  and  wine  be  real  or  mystical. 
Their  (other  Persian  poets')  religion  and  philo- 
sophy is  soon  seen  through,  and  always  seems  to 
me  cuckooed  over  like  a  borrowed  thing  which 


20  INTRODUCTION 

people  once  having  got,  do  not  know  how  to 
parade  enough.  To  be  sure,  their  roses  and 
nightingales  are  repeated  often  enough.  But 
Hafiz  and  old  Omar  KJiayyam  ring  like  true 
metal." 

Again,  Dawlat  Shah  says  :  "  Hafiz,  the  king 
of  the  learned  ones  and  the  cream  of  the  wise 
ones,  was  the  wonder  of  the  time.  His  speech 
is  such  that  it  cometh  not  into  the  creating  power 
of  man.  Verily,  it  hath  the  desire  for  the  Hidden, 
and  the  taste  of  the  order  of  fakr,  and  they  call 
him  Lisan-ul-ghaib  (Tongue  of  the  Hidden)." 

Sudi,  the  Bosnian,  who  wrote  a  great  commen- 
tary on  Hafiz 's  works  towards  the  seventeenth 
century,  was  simply  carried  away  by  the  enchant- 
ing beauty  of  Hafiz's  verses.  He  exclaimed  that 
they  were  divine,  and  "  derived  their  innate 
grace  from  having  been  bathed  in  the  water  of 
life,  and  that  in  beauty  they  equalled  the  dark- 
eyed  Houris  of  Paradise." 

He  is  original  throughout  and  acknowledges 
no  authority  but  nature.  '*  He  scorns  to  use  any 
art  but  art  to  conceal  art."  If  there  are  any 
defects,  they  are  his  own  ;  if  there  are  beauties, 
he  himself  is  the  painter.  So  rare  a  genius  few 
countries  have  ever  produced. 

Rich  in  fancy,  powerful  in  imagination  are 
his  verses.  They  are  original  and  full  of  grandeur, 
glowing  and  without  restraint,  gay  and  grave. 
They  speak  of  the  divine  emotion  of  love  and  of 


HAFIZ  AS  A  POET  21 

the  pleasure  derived  from  celestial  or  terrestrial 
wine.  He  draws  beautiful  pictures  of  his  unre- 
quited love,  and  describes  in  glowing  terms  the 
beauties  of  flowers  and  the  sweet  melodies  of 
singing  birds  during  the  spring.  Beauty  in  every 
form  does  not  escape  his  masterly  touch.  He 
deals  with  the  world's  vanities,  instability  of  life, 
the  evanescence  of  joys,  and  sings  the  praises  of 
the  Creator  and  those  of  the  prophet  Mohammad. 
Charity  uncircumscribed  by  any  limit,  and  a 
spirit  of  toleration  permeate  his  writings.  Liberty 
of  conscience  receives  full  recognition,  while  fre- 
quent sarcastic  remarks  upon  the  so-called  re- 
ligious men  are  met  with. 

His  style  is  flawless — concise  but  expressive, 
dazzlingly  bright  and  finished.  Not  a  single 
word  is  superfluous  ;  every  word  has  its  own 
place,  the  loss  of  which  is  the  loss  of  a  beauty. 
It  is  unaffected  and  clear.  There  is  no  straining  of 
the  natural  mirth,  or  loss  of  harmony  in  his 
sonorous  cadences. 

The  powerful  eloquence,  the  music  of  his 
songs,  the  delicate  rhythms,  the  beat  of  the 
refrain,  and  the  captivating  imagery,  always 
enthrall  the  readers  of  his  poems.  The  spirit  of 
youth  and  love  and  joy,  together  with  a  nobler 
humanity  which  cries  out  across  the  ages,  char- 
acterise them.  When  he  says,  "  My  beloved  is 
gone,  and  I  had  not  even  bidden  him  farewell !  " 
the  words  are  as  touching  now  as  they  wer^ 


22  INTRODUCTION 

several  centuries  ago.  Equally  simple  and 
pathetic  is  his  mourning  for  his  son,  "  He  him- 
self went  an  easy  way,  but  made  mine  hard." 
And  for  his  wife  :  "  Then  said  my  heart,  I  will 
sojourn  myself  in  this  city  which  is  perfumed  by 
her  scent ;  her  feet  were  bent  upon  a  longer 
journey,  but  I,  helpless,  knew  it  not."  A  more 
passionate  image  of  love  you  would  not  find 
even  in  the  sweet  songs  of  the  Swan  of  the  Avon 
than  :  ''  Open  my  grave  when  I  am  dead,  and 
thou  shalt  see  a  cloud  of  smoke  rising  from  out 
of  it ;  then  shalt  thou  know  that  the  fire  still 
bums  in  my  dead  heart — yea,  it  has  set  my  very 
winding-sheet  alight."  Or :  ''If  the  scent  of 
her  hair  were  to  blow  across  my  dust  when  I 
have  been  dead  a  hundred  years,  my  mouldering 
bones  would  rise  and  come  dancing  out  of  the 
tomb."  Speaking  of  love  he  says :  "I  have 
estimated  the  influence  of  Reason  upon  Love, 
and  found  that  it  is  like  that  of  a  raindrop  upon 
the  ocean,  which  makes  one  little  mark  upon  the 
water's  face  and  disappears."  These  are  im- 
mortal utterances,  "  which  time  cannot  dim  or 
rust,"  and  truly  interpret  the  language  of  the 
heart. 

The  Diwdn,  or  the  collection  of  poems  by  Hafiz, 
deserves  a  mention.  Sudi,  the  great  Turkish 
editor  of  Hafiz,  says  that  during  his  lifetime 
Hafiz  was  too  busy  teaching  and  composing 
philosophical   treatises   to   collect   together   his 


HAFIZ  AS  A  POET  28 

poems ;  that  he  used  to  recite  them  in  the 
college  founded  especially  for  him  by  Kawd- 
muddin,  expressing  a  wish  that  these  pearls 
might  be  strung  together  for  the  adornment 
of  his  age.  It  was  left  for  his  pupil,  Syed 
Kasim-al-Anwar,  to  collect  them  together. 
This  makes  up  the  famous  Diwdn  of  Hafiz. 

The  language  of  the  Diwdn,  as  understood  by 
the  outward  form,  gave  rise  to  the  difficulty 
whether  it  was  orthodox  enough  to  be  read  by 
the  public.  The  matter  was  referred  to  the 
Sufi  Abu  Suoud,  who  decided  in  favour  of  the 
Diwdn,  But  for  his  decision  the  beautiful  collec- 
tion would  have  remained  confined  to  oblivion, 
much  to  the  loss  of  Persian  literature.  Practi- 
cally giving  it  ecclesiastical  imyrimatur  he  said 
"  that  every  one  was  at  liberty  to  use  his  own 
judgment  in  the  manner  of  the  meaning  to  be 
assigned  to  the  poems  of  Hafiz." 

From  one  end  of  the  world  to  the  other  the 
Diwdn  is  well  known,  and  its  poems  are  repeated 
and  sung  by  all  those  who  take  any  interest  in 
Persian  literature.  There  are  some  admirable 
translations  of  Hafiz. 

There  are  also  various  commentaries  on  Hafiz, 
but  unfortunately  there  is  none  except  that  of 
Sudi  which  exactly  expresses  his  true  meaning. 
Each  has  its  own  peculiar  charms,  but  all  suffer 
from  the  same  attempt  on  the  part  of  scholars 
as  characterised  the  philosophers  of  the  Middle 


24  INTRODUCTION 

Ages,  who  endeavoured  to  read  something 
into  religion  which,  instead  of  simplifying  it, 
made  it  more  elaborate  and  difficult  to  under- 
stand. 

Yet  another  feature  of  the  Diwdn  deserves 
mention.  Like  the  Aeneid,  the  Diwdn  is  con- 
sulted as  a  guide  to  future  actions. 

In  the  memoirs  of  Sher  Khan  Lodi  it  is  related 
that  the  enemies  of  Hafiz  had  gone  so  far  as  to 
accuse  him  of  heresy,  and  so  there  was  a  question 
as  to  whether  he  should  receive  the  Moslem  rites 
of  burial.  After  some  debate  they  consulted  his 
poems  in  haphazard  manner,  and  found  the 
following  verse,  which  settled  all  their  doubts 
respecting  his  faith.  *'  Do  not  keep  back  your 
steps  from  saying  funeral  prayers  (for  the  soul)  of 
Hafiz  ;  for,  although  he  is  immersed  in  sin,  he  is 
going  to  heaven."  It  is  also  said  that  several 
men  of  action  were  in  the  habit  of  having  re- 
course to  these  Sortes  Hafiziana  on  questions  that 
they  could  not  solve.  Aurungzeb,  the  great  Mogul 
Emperor,  was  one.  Indeed  Nadir  Shah  never 
undertook  an  expedition  without  consulting  it. 
While  meditating  an  expedition  against  Taurus, 
says  Mirza  Mehdi  Khan,  he  opened  the  Diwdn 
at  the  following  verses  : 

Irak  and  Fars  thou  hast  conquered  with  thy  sweet  verses 

0  Hafiz  ; 
Come !    (now)  is  the  turn  of  Bagdad  and  (the  appointed 

Jiour)  of  Tabriz, 


HAFIZ  AS  A  PHILOSOPHER  25 

How   appropriate   they   were   the   succeeding 
events  showed  ! 


HXfiz  as  a  Philosopher 

As  a  philosopher  Hafiz  was  an  Intuitionist. 
Naturally  enough,  religion  had  two  aspects  for 
him — intellectual  and  moral,  each  leading  to 
the  higher  and  truer  conception  of  the  Supreme 
Being.  The  intellectual  part  of  religion  by  the 
pursuance  of  design  in  the  universe  and  by  having 
recourse  to  the  various  ontological  and  teleo- 
logical  arguments,  apprehends  the  Supreme  Being 
as  the  Supreme  Intellect.  The  moral  part  of 
it  is  not  so  easy  to  grasp,  and  therefore  has  given 
rise  to  much  useless  speculation.  The  Supreme 
Being  here  is  represented  as  the  Supreme  Con- 
science, whom  men  can  hold  communion  with 
through  their  own  conscience.  As  there  are  hier- 
archies in  the  moral  world,  the  constant  communion 
with  the  Supreme  Conscience  may  lead  to  the 
attainment  of  the  highest  hierarchy.  This  is,  in 
short,  one  part  of  the  doctrine  of  Sufiism,  so 
much  misunderstood  in  the  West. 

No  doubt  it  has  given  rise  to  certain  language 
intelligible  only  in  the  light  of  the  Cartesian 
doctrine  of  Dualism  propounded  by  the  great 
Sufi  Alghazali  long  before  Descartes — that  is  to 
say,  the  existence  of  mind  and  matter  with  the 
pineal  gland — with  the  ei^ddition  of  Malebranche's 


26  INTRODUCTION 

doctrine  of  Occasionalism  for  Descartes'  pineal 
gland.* 

There  is  yet  another  side  to  Sufiism.  A  Sufi 
draws  no  distinction  between  himself  and  other 
selves.  The  true  good,  for  him,  is  the  realisation 
of  self  which  pre-supposes  the  consideration  of 
others.  He  says  :  "  God  manifests  Himself  in  us. 
We  are,  in  our  very  essential  nature,  the  eternal 
consciousness,  reproduced  under  the  limitation 
of  time  and  organism,  but  retaining  the  essential 
character  of  being  out  of  time  as  regards  our 
knowledge — as  regards  that  in  virtue  of  which 
we  are.  The  world,  as  a  whole,  only  potentially 
13.  The  potential  contents  of  our  consciousness 
— knowledge — eternally  exist  as  ideas  which  we 
are  labouring  to  attain  unto."  And  as  potential 
contents  are  more  and  more  attained  to,  we  realise 
that  others  are  inseparable  from  us.  Thus 
the  distinction  between  the  pleasure  of  self 
and  the  pleasure  of  not-self  disappears.  This 
brings  us  face  to  face  with  the  ethical  doctrines 
of  Sidgwick  and  Green,  and  even  offers  a  medium 
of  reconciliation  between  the  materialistic  con- 
ception of  the  Cambridge  philosopher  and  the 
spiritualistic  view  of  the  Oxford  thinker. 

There  has  been  a  controversy  over  Hafiz's 
being  a  Sufi.  Those  who  take  his  verses  in  their 
literal  sense  come  to  a  very  unfavourable  con- 
clusion about  the  poet ;  but  there  is  another 
*  See  Appendix  to  Introduction,  p.  69. 


HAFIZ  AS  A  PHILOSOPHER  27 

side   to   the   shield.    Before   entering   into   the 
question  whether  Hafiz  was  a   Sufi  it  will  be 
better  to  mention  in  brief  what  Sufiism  is. 
The  word  '  Sufi '  has  been  variously  derived : 

From  which  meana 

Suf  wool. 

Sufi  . .         . .         . .  woollen. 

Safd  . .         . .  . .  purity. 

Safd a  statue  near  Mecca. 

It  is  difficult  to  decide  among  the  various 
derivations.  Professor  Browne  ^  seems  to  think 
that  "it  is  quite  certain  "  that  it  is  derived  from 
the  word  suf,  '*  wool,"  which  is  confirmed  by 
the  equivalent  pashmina-pushy  "  wool- wearers," 
applied  to  these  mystics  in  Persia,  and  regards 
the  derivation  given  by  Jami  in  his  Bahdristdn, 
from  Arabic  safd,  "purity,"  as  fanciful.  The 
Sufis  themselves  regard  it  as  derived  from  safd, 
and  ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred  spiritual 
guides  in  the  East  adopt  this  derivation. 

There  are  four  theories  as  to  the  origin  of 
Sufiism.  The  first  is  that  it  represents  the 
"  esoteric  Islam."  Jalaluddin  Rumi  favours  this 
idea  and  calls  Ali  the  first  Sufi.  So  do  almost  all 
the  Sufis  one  comes  into  contact  with  in  the  East. 

The  second  theory  *  is   that  it  represents  a 

*  A  Literary  History  of  Persia,  p.  417. 

*  Professor  Browne's  A  Literary  History  of  Persia,  p.  41St 


28  INTRODUCTION 

reaction  of  the  Aryan  mind  against  Islam,  a 
Semitic  religion.  But  Professor  Browne  has  con- 
clusively shown  that  neither  the  Indian  nor  the 
Persian  theory  of  reaction  is  tenable. 

The  third  theory  is  that  it  was  due  to  the 
Neo-Platonist  influence.  The  chief  argument  in 
support  of  this  theory  ^  is  that  three  great  Sufis, 
Maroof-ul-Karkhi,  Abu  Sulayman  al-Darani,  and 
Dhu'1-Nun  al-Misri,  flourished  during  the  period 
of  seventy-five  years  commencing  in  the  year  786 
and  ending  in  861  a.d.  During  this  period,  it 
is  asserted,  many  works  were  translated  from 
the  Greek  which  must  have  influenced  them  as 
well  as  others.  But  the  term  "  Sufi  "  was  already 
in  use  a  considerable  time  before  the  year  786, 
and  Stifiism  had  attained  to  a  recognised  place. 
Hence  the  theory  of  Neo-Platonist  influence 
cannot  be  maintained. 

The  fourth  theory,  of  independent  origin,  seems 
reasonable  in  the  light  of  all  facts  regarding 
Stifiism.  It  has  been  supported  by  eminent 
authorities. 

It  will  be  better  to  quote  from  Ibn  IChaldun, 
the  great  historian,  who  proves  beyond  doubt 
that  Stifiism  was  of  indigenous  growth  to  Islam. 
Speaking  of  Stifiism  in  his  Muqaddima  (vol.  iii., 
p.  467),  he  says  : 

"  This  is  one  of  the  religious  sciences  which 

*  Mr.  A.  R.  Nicholson's  Literary  History  of  the  Arabs, 
p.  388, 


HAFIZ  AS  A  PHILOSOPHER  29 

were  born  in  Islam.  The  way  of  the  Sufis  was 
regarded  by  the  ancient  Moslems  and  their 
illustrious  men — the  Companions  of  the  Prophet 
(Al'Sahaba),  the  followers  (Al-Tabiin),  and  the 
generation  which  came  after  them — as  the  way 
of  truth  and  salvation.  To  be  painstaking  in 
piety,  to  give  up  everything  for  the  sake  of 
God,  to  avoid  worldly  shows  and  vanities,  to 
renounce  pleasure,  wealth,  and  power,  which 
are  the  general  objects  of  human  ambition,  to 
abandon  society  and  to  lead  in  seclusion  a  life 
solely  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God — these 
were  the  fundamental  principles  of  Sufiism 
which  prevailed  among  the  Companions  and 
the  Moslems  who  existed  immediately  after 
Mohammad.  When,  however,  in  the  second 
generation  and  afterwards  worldly  tastes  be- 
came widely  spread,  and  men  no  longer  shrank 
from  contamination,  those  who  made  piety  their 
aim  were  singled  out  by  the  title  of  Sufi  or 
Motasawwdf,'^ 

To  attain  to  the  sufiistic  ends  certain  practices 
have  been  prescribed.  They  consist  of  four 
stages,  and  until  the  last  stage  is  passed  the 
*'  emancipated  soul "  cannot  mix  with  the 
"glorious  essence,"  nor  can  it  cast  off  the  **  cor- 
poreal veil."    They  are  : 

1.  Shariyat — which  consists  in  strict   ob- 
servance of  the  teachings  of  Islam. 

2.  TarikaL    This  means  the  following  of 


30  INTRODUCTION 

a  spiritual  guide  who  teaches  the  "hidden 
practices." 

3.  MdrefaL — This  stage  is  reached  when 
the  real  nature  of  the  teachings  of  Moham- 
mad is  grasped,  leading  to  the  effacement  in 
Mohammad.    And, 

4.  Hakikat, — This  is  the  last  stage,  and 
consists  in  recognition  of  the  divine  essence 
and  merging  thereunto. 

There  are  various  orders  of  Sufis.  There  were 
two  original  orders,  viz.  (1)  Haloolia,  i.e.  the  in- 
spired, believing  as  they  did  that  God  had  entered 
into  them,  and  (2)  Ittahddid,  i.e.  the  unionists, 
who  took  God  to  have  joined  with  every  en- 
lightened being.  They  said  that  God  is  the 
flame  and  the  soul  the  charcoal.  The  soul,  by 
union  with  God,  becomes  God.  From  these  two 
are  derived  the  following  orders  of  Sufis  : 

(a)  The  Wasdlid,  i.e.  the  joined  to  God. 

(b)  The  Osh-Shdhid,  i.e.  the  lovers  of  God. 

(c)  The  Talhinid,  i.e.  the  instructed. 

(d)  The  Zdkid,  i.e.  the  penetrated. 

(e)  The  Wdhedid,  i.e.  the  solitary. 

Without  further  detaining  the  reader  over  the 
details  of  Sufiism,  however  interesting  the  subject 
may  be,  we  should  mention  the  evidence  that 
Hafiz  was  a  Sufi.  In  the  first  place,  Jami,  the 
great  Sufi  and  poet,  says  concerning  Hafiz  that 
"from  his  verses,  he  should  judge  him  to  be  a 
Sufi  of  eminence.''    He  calls  Hafiz  '' Lisdn  ul- 


HAFIZ  AS  A  PHILOSOPHER  31 

ghaih "  t.e.  The  Tongue  of  the  Hidden,  and 
Tarjumdn  ul-Israr,  i.e.  Interpreter  of  Mysteries. 

In  the  next  place,  Dawlat  Shah  speaks  of 
Hafiz  as  a  great  Sufi  and  considers  his  verse  as 
possessing  endless  meanings  in  truth  and  divine 
knowledge.  Compared  with  his  station  among 
the  Sufis,  his  rank  as  a  poet  is  much  lower.  He 
was  unequalled  in  his  knowledge  of  the  Quoran, 
and  remained  unexcelled  in  the  knowledge  of 
the  "  outward  and  the  imvard."  His  religion 
inspired  him  with  pious  thoughts,  which  bore 
fruit  in  his  love  for  the  dervishes  and  Arifs. 

Thirdly,  there  is  the  testimony  of  Charles 
Stewart,  who  says  : 

"  Hafiz  was  eminent  for  his  purity  ;  passed 
much  of  his  time  in  solitude,  devoting  himself  to 
the  service  of  God,  and  to  reflecting  on  His  divine 
nature.  By  his  countrymen  he  is  classed  among 
the  inspired  and  holy  men ;  and  his  works — held 
as  inferior  only  to  the  Quoran — are  frequently 
consulted  by  divines." 

Lastly,  the  bulk  of  the  Diwdn  admits  of  a  far 
higher  interpretation  than  any  that  could  belong 
to  our  mortal  existence.  It  might  have  been 
attributed  to  pure  accident  if  a  few  of  his  poems 
had  borne  that  interpretation  ;  but  the  question 
of  accident  is  beyond  consideration  when  the 
bulk  of  the  Diwdn  can  be  so  explained.  It  is 
commonplace  if  taken  literally ;  subhme  if 
"truly  interpreted.    This   shows  a  design  and  a 


32  INTRODUCTION 

certain  state  of  mind.  It  can  only  be  the 
mind  of  a  Sufi  from  which  can  emanate  such 
strains. 

For  this  purpose  'Havern,"  etc.,  must  mean 
''place  of  worship";  ''wine,"  signifying  love 
of  God  ;  "  beloved,"  "God,"  or  "Creator  "  ;  and 
the  old  man  of  the  Magians  and  of  the  tavern,  as 
the  "spiritual  guide." 

What  doubt  can  there  be,  when  Hafiz  himself 
says  ?— 

The  meaning  of  this  cup  is  the  wine  of  eternity  i 
The  meaning  of  this  wine,  we  understand,  is  selflessness. 

Saki-nama. 


From  my  boyhood  I  had  a  liking  for  Hafiz, 
and  always  entertained  a  desire  to  associate 
my  name  with  his.  I  had  long  contemplated 
bringing  out  a  complete  translation  of  the 
works  of  Hafiz ;  but  they  would  have  been 
too  bulky.  I  have,  therefore,  adopted  the  sug- 
gestion of  my  friends  to  bring  out  the  works 
in  several  volumes.  The  Eubd'iydt  is  the  first 
volume.  I  would  consider  my  labours  amply 
rewarded  if  this  little  volume  appeals  to  the 
generous  British  Public,  and  supplies  it  with 
something  which  would  far  remove  it  to  a 
world  so  unlike  its  own  but  in  feeling  and 
thought. 

A    Ruba'i    (pi.  Ruba'iyat)    consists    of    four 


THE  EUBA'IYAT  IN  ENGLISH  VERSE  33 

verses,  the  last  verse  being  the  most  important, 
complete  in  itself.  Each  Ruba'i  stands  by 
itself  and  explains  the  philosophy  of  life  in  its 
own  way. 

There  are  altogether  seventy  Ruba'iyat  of 
Hafiz  ;  but  some  of  them  are  supposed  to  be 
of  doubtful  origin  and  therefore  have  been  left 
out. 

The  task  of  versifying  from  my  translation  of 
the  Rubd'iydt  has  been  undertaken  by  Mr.  L. 
Cranmer-Byng.  He  has  endeavoured,  as  far  as 
possible,  to  keep  to  the  sense  in  each  Ruba'i. 
Below  I  give  the  literal  translation,  as  well  as 
the  verse-rendering,  of  several  Ruba'iyat  in  order 
that  the  reader  may  see  for  himself  how  Mr. 
Cranmer-Byng  has  accomplished  his  difficult 
task. 

Literal  translation  of  Ruba'i  620  : 

When  the  rosebud  flagon-emptier  becomes  {i.e.  bears  the 

semblance  of  flagon  upside  down), 
Narcissus  for  love  of  wine  goblet-holder  becomes. 
Happy  is  the  heart  of  that  person  who,  like  a  bubble, 
In  the  desire  of  wine  a  wanderer  (who  carries  his  house, 

i.e.  all  he  possesses,  on  his  shoulders)  becomes. 

This  corresponds  to  No.  1  of  the  Rubd'iydt, 
which  runs  as  follows  : 

When  rosebuds  into  chaHces  unroll 

For  love  of  wine  Narcissus  bears  the  bowl. 


34  INTRODUCTION 

Ah  !  happy  he  who  learns  the  crimson  lore, 
And,  wine's  own  Sufi,  hberates  his  soul. 

Although  the  last  two  lines  do  not  quite  ex- 
press the  outward  meaning  of  the  last  two  lines 
of  the  Ruba'i,  the  inner  meaning  is  the  same. 
The  lines  mean  that  the  one  who  bids  farewell  to 
his  hearth  and  home,  i,e,  becomes  a  Sufi,  is  happy ; 
and  this  idea  is  in  eflEect  expressed  by  the  last 
lines  of  the  versification. 

Again,   take    the    Ruba'i    No.   646    literally, 
which,  translated,  runs  : 

Thine  eye,  of  which  the  sorcery  of  Babil  is  the  teacher, 
O  God !    that  sorcery  may  not  pass  out  of  its  (eye's) 

memory ! 
And  that  ear  which  put  an  earring  into  the  ears  of  beauty 

(itself)  (i.e,  enslaved  it), 
Its  earring  may  be  from  the  pearl  of  Hafiz's  poetry  ! 

It  corresponds  to  Ruba'i  No.  15  : 

Those  eyes,  that  BabiFs  sorcery  hath  taught. 
Must  all  their  sweet  enchantment  come  to  nought  ? 
And  that  small  ear — Nay  !   from  the  fadeless  pearls 
Of  Hafiz's  song  her  pendant  shall  be  wrought. 

It  is  evident  that  the  qualifying  adjective  of 
the  ear  as  putting  "  an  earring  into  the  ear  of 
beauty  itself,"  that  is  to  say,  beautiful,  has  been 
expressed  by  the  word  ''  small,"  the  EngHsh 
idea  of  a  beautiful  ear  being  its  *'smallness." 


THE  RUBA'IYAT  IN  ENGLISH  VERSE  35 

Or  take  again,  literally,  Ruba'i  No.  633  : 

No  story  of  the  light  (beauty)  of  Chegil  can  be  told  ! 

No  tale  of  the  burning  heart  (lover)  can  be  told  ! 

Then  is  sorrow  in  my  little  heart,  and  the  reason  is  that 

there  is  not 
A  friend  to  whom  the  sorrows  of  the  heart  can  be  told. 

In  the  versification  it  stands  as  No.  28  : 

Who  can  recall  the  rosebud  of  Chegil  ? 
The  story  of  the  burning  heart  reveal  ? 
My  heart  is  desolate,  since  friends  are  none 
To  whom  my  tale  of  sorrows  can  appeaL 

Or  take  again,  the  Ruba'i  638  : 

Thine  eye,  from  which  sorcery  and  deceit  rain, 
Beware  !    From  it  the  sword  of  battle  rains. 
Very  soon  thou  becamest  tired  of  thy  companions, 
Alas  !    From  thine  heart — stone  rains  from  it. 

Lit  Trans, 

This  corresponds  to  No.  29  of  the  versification  : 

Your  eyes,  where  lies  and  magic  play  their  part, 
From  whose  false  dusk  the  swords  of  battle  start. 
How  soon  they  weary  of  my  constant  sight ! 
Stones  that  were  tears  now  strike  me  from  your  heart. 

Or  take  the  beautiful  Ruba'i  634  : 

The  beauties  of  the  world  can  be  taken  captive  with  go- 
Their  fruit  can  be  happily  tasted  with  gold. 


36  INTRODUCTION 

Look  at  Narcissus,  which  is  crown -possessor  of  the  world ; 
How  it  too  droops  its  head  to  gold  (narcissus  has  a  golden 
cup  over  its  flower).  Lit*  Trans, 

This  is  versified  in  No.  32  : 

For  gold  the  beauties  of  the  world  are  wed ; 
Their  charms  upon  the  merchants'  mat  they  spread. 
Even  that  sultan  of  the  worlds  of  spring, 
The  proud  Narcissus,  droops  a  golden  head. 

Or  take,  once  more,  the  Ruba'i  617  : 

Manliness  from  the  plucker  of  the  door  of  Khaibar  ask, 
And  the  secret  of  generosity  from  Khawja  Kambar  (All's 

slave)  ask. 
If  thirsty  of  the  grace  of  God  in  reality,  you  Hafiz  are, 
The  fountain-head  of  that  (grace)  from  the  cup-bearer  of 

Kausar  (Ali)  ask.  Lit,  Trans. 

It  is  versified  in  No.  53  : 

Ask  strength  of  him  who  plucked  at  Khaibar's  door ; 
The  gift  of  giving  from  his  slave  implore. 
O  Hafiz,  if  for  grace  of  God  thou  yearn, 
Ask  of  the  fount  for  wine  of  Kowsar's  store. 

Or  take,  lastly,  the  Ruba'i  623  : 

Sit  with  the  friend  and  the  cup  of  wine,  ask 
A  kiss  from  the  lips  of  that  cypress  rose-bodied,  ask 
If  the  wounded  wishes  to  be  cured  of  the  wound. 
Tell  him  from  the  lancet  of  a  surgeon,  ask. 

LU,  Trans. 


A  WORD  OR  TWO  AS  TO  THE  METRE   37 
This  corresponds  to  the  versification,  No.  57 : 

Come,  sit  with  love,  and,  while  the  wine-cup  flows. 
Enfold  the  cypress -form,  the  heart  of  rose  ! 
O  wounded  lover,  seeking  to  be  whole. 
Ask  Haj jam's  lancet  of  the  cure  it  knows. 

A  Word  or  Two  as  to  the  Metre 

In  Persian  there  is  only  one  prescribed  metre 
for  all  Ruba'iyats  originally  taken  from  the 
Arabic.  A  great  deal  of  difficulty  was  experi- 
enced in  fixing  upon  the  metre  for  the  versifica- 
tion. FitzGerald  has  adopted  the  only  metre 
which  is  suitable  for  quatrains.  In  this  he  was 
by  no  means  original.  Hammer  and  Bicknell 
had  tried  the  metre  consisting  of  ten  syllables 
in  each  line  before.  As  Connington  has  well 
said,  there  is  a  degree  of  metrical  conformity 
between  the  measure  of  the  original  and  that  of 
the  translation,  and  though  there  is  no  perfect 
coincidence  in  this  respect,  it  at  least  suggests 
it.  Alexandrines  would  have  been  still  better, 
and  they  have  been  used  by  Bodenstedt  and 
other  German  translators  of  Omar's  Ruhd'iydt ; 
but,  as  Mr.  E.  H.  Winfield  has  pointed  out,  the 
English  language  does  not  lend  itself  to  this 
harmony.  This  adoption  would  have  made  the 
lines  rather  heavy  in  English.  Therefore  they 
have  been  forsaken  for  their  rival. 


38  INTRODUCTION 

In  conclusion,  I  desire  to  thank  my  friend, 
Dr.  S.  A.  Kapadia,  joint  editor  of  the  **  Wisdom 
of  the  East "  Series,  for  several  valuable  hints 
and  suggestions,  and  various  writers  on  Hafiz 
whose  works  I  have  consulted. 

ABDUL  MAJID. 

4,  Harcouet  Buildings, 
Temple,  E.G. 


RUBA'IYAT    OF   HAFIZ 


When  rosebuds  into  chalices  unroll 
For  love  of  wine  Narcissus  bears  the  bowl. 
Ah  !  happy  he  who  learns  the  crimson  lore, 
And,  wine's  own  Sufi,  liberates  his  soul. 


2 

Of  that  old  wine  some  vanished  Sultan  grew 
Give  me,  that  I  may  paint  life's  scenes  anew. 
Oh  make  me  heedless  of  the  heedless  world 
That  I  may  sing  the  world's  desire  to  you. 


Come,  love  and  wine  beside  the  river's  brink ; 
In  every  cup  some  shallow  care  we'll  sink. 
Life's  span  is  but  the  rose's,  ten  dear  days  ; 
Then  chain  the  ten  with  laughter's  golden  link. 


40  RUBA'IYAT  OF  HAFIZ 


0  lovers,  you  whose  happy  hands  enlace, 
For  whom  Time's  wheel,  forgotten,  flies  apace, 
When  my  time  cometh  hail  the  endless  round, 
That  other  Aprils  may  recall  my  face. 


Come  thou,  and  bring  me  wine,  the  source  of  joy ; 
Heed  not  the  wiles  that  meaner  foes  employ. 
Smooth  is  the  speech  of  him  who  bids  thee  stay, 
And  sweet  are  words  that  sweeter  lips  decoy. 


6 

If,  like  us,  you  should  fall  into  love's  snare. 
Wine,  wine  alone  can  free  you  from  despair. 
We  are  the  world-consuming  revellers  ; 
Sit  not  with  us,  lest  none  should  speak  you  fair. 


Youth  is  the  tap  that  draws  the  wine  most  sweet. 
Unhappy  lover,  drink  and  drown  defeat ! 
Creation  rocks  to  ruin  in  the  end, 
Apd  ruined  lords  their  ruined  halls  complete, 


RUBAIYAT  OF  HAFIZ  41 

8 

Take  not  your  lips  from  the  tankard's  brimming 

lip, 
Lest  fame  and  fortune  in  a  moment  slip. 
In  the  world-cup  are  sweet  and  bitter  blent ; 
One  from  love's  mouth,  one  from  the  tankard  sip. 


9 

A  woman's  smile,  a  lute  to  rouse  the  morn, 
A  nook,  a  heart  unbound,  a  flagon  drawn. 
And  when  the  red  wine  dances  through  my  veins 
From  Hatim  ^  I'll  not  beg  a  barley-corn. 


10 

My  moon,  in  whose  grave  beauty  day  grows  dim, 
A  fairer  disk  than  Kowsar's  ^  rounded  rim. 
Hath  cast  all  hearts  into  her  dimple's  well. 
And,  sealed  with  amber,  bade  them  sink  or  swim. 


11 

As,  one  by  one,  the  garments  from  her  glide 
Behold  a  moon  that  hath  no  peer  beside. 
O  flesh  so  frail  that  her  red  heart  imbues  ! 
liike  a  red  ruby  stains  the  lucent  tid^. 


42  EXJBAIYAT  OF  HAFIZ 

12 

Around  her  waist  my  hand  unchided  stole  : 
This  much  I  gained,  yet  still  desired  the  whole. 
My  arm  had  circled  round  the  citadel, 
And,  still  unmastered,  she  defied  control. 

13 

I  said  "  Ah  !   pretty  mole  of  my  delight !  " 
She  answered,  "  O  thou  fond  and  foolish  wight ! 
No  mole  the  mirror  of  my  charm  retains, 
'Tis  thy  dark  glance  upon  my  beauty  bright." 

14. 

Quoth  I,  ''  Your  lip  ?  "  ''  The  fount  of  life  !  " 
she  cried. 

Quoth  I,  "  Your  mouth  ?  "  *'  'Tis  sugar,  coral- 
dyed  ;  " 

Quoth  I,  "  Your  speech  ?  "  "  Ah,  sweetly  Hafiz 
sang; 

For  each  soft  word  some  golden  tongue  is  tied." 

15 

Those  eyes  that  BabiPs  *  sorceries  hath  taught, 
Must  all    their    bright    enchantments    come    to 

nought  ? 
And  that  small  ear — Nay  !    from  the  fadeless 

pearls 
Of  Hafiz'  song  her  pendant  shall  be  wrought. 


RUBA'IYAT  OF  HAFIZ  43 

16 

0  you,  to  whom  the  sun  and  moon  have  bowed 
Upon  your  threshold's  dust  their  foreheads  proud, 
Bid  me  not  burn  in  expectation's  fire  ! 
Nor  seat  me  in  the  shadow  of  the  cloud  I 


17 

Think  not  to  scorn  the  fierceness  of  a  sigh. 

From  that  which  kindles  flame  may  flames  draw 
nigh. 

Oh  be  not  heedless  of  the  tears  of  night, 

Or  the  dawn's  grey  sighs  that  'neath  your  case- 
ment die. 


18 

My  heart  makes  room  for  grief — for  grief  of  you. 
By  this  dear  grief  my  wounds  shall  heal  anew. 
The  more  you  heap  your  vengeance  on  my  heart. 
The  more  tormented,  she  shall  prove  more  true. 


19 

To-night  I'll  sleep  in  blood  for  all  my  pain ; 
Without  the  bed  of  rest  I  shall  remain. 
Sweet,  an  you   doubt  me,  send  your   wraith 

dreams 
To  watch  the  night  upon  my  torment  wane. 


44  RUBAIYAT  OF  HAFIZ 

20 

She  told  me,  "I  am  yours  to  have  and  hold. 
Take  heart  !  let  care  by  patience  be  controlled." 
Ah,  what  is  heart  ?     Some  greybeard  doth  reply  : 
"  The  clot  of  blood  a  thousand  cares  enfold." 


21 

She  gave  me  first  the  loving-cup  to  bind  ; 
The  cup  of  cruelty  she  then  assigned 
And  when,  with  soul  and  body  burned,  I  fell 
Dust  at  her  feet — she  gave  me  to  the  wind. 


22 

I  was  a  beggar,  of  her  love  bereft ;  ^^ 

Salt  rankles  in  the  wound  that  parting  left. 
My  heavy  heart  one  day  foretold  the  end  ; 
Then  fell  the  sword,  and  our  one  life  was  cleft. 


23 

Sweet,  you  have  moulded  me  to  please  the  foe ; 
I  was  like  spring  that  now  like  autumn  grow. 
Once  in  your  quiver  still  and  straight  I  lay 
Till  passion,  came  and  bent  me  like  a  bow, 


RUBAIYAT  OF  HAFIZ  45 

24 

Return  !   my  soul  your  wandering  beauty  seeks. 

Return  !   my  heart  her  desolation  speaks. 

Oh,  golden  sunshine  of  your  face  reveal, 

And  burn  the  blinding  tear-drops  from  my  cheeks ! 


25 

In  crowds  I  see  no  image  save  thine  own, 
My  ways  are  centred  in  thy  street  alone ; 
And  though  thou  reignest,  and  the  world  hath 

sleep, 
No  kiss  of  slumber  my  tired  lids  have  known. 


26 

Alone  I  weep  more  tears  than  candles  shed — 
Tears  like  the  twinkling  flagon's  rosy  red ; 
And,  like  the  wine-cup,  since  the  heart  is  full, 
When  the  sad  harp  bewails  my  tears  are  bled. 


27 

Ah,  love,  for  kisses  long  withheld  I  die ; 
Your  absent  lips  have  slain  me  with  a  sigh. 
A  ruthless  pen  writes  "  Finis  "  to  my  tale. 
Return  !  for,  while  I  wait,  again  I  die. 


46  RUBA'IYAT  OF  HAFIZ 

28 

Who  can  recall  the  rosebud  of  Chegil  ?  • 
The  story  of  the  burning  heart  reveal  ? 
My  heart  is  desolate,  since  friends  are  none 
To  whom  my  tale  of  sorrows  can  appeal. 


29 

Your  eyes,  where  lies  and  magic  play  their  part, 
From  whose  false  dusk  the  swords  of  battle  start. 
How  soon  they  weary  of  my  constant  sight ! 
Stones  that  were  tears  now  strike  me  from  your 
heart. 


30 

Each  friend  who  spoke  of  constancy  became 
A  foe,  each  lovely  face  a  soiling  flame. 
They  say,  "  The  night  is  great  with  hidden  things." 
Since  none  beheld  her,   who  hath  shared  her 
shame  ? 


31 

0  time  of  broken  vows  that  none  would  mend  ! 
The  bitter  foe  was  once  a  faithful  friend. 
So  to  the  skirts  of  solitude  I  cling, 
Lest  friendship  lure  me  to  an  evil  end. 


RUBAIYAT  OF  HAFIZ  47 

32 

For  gold  the  beauties  of  the  world  are  wed  ; 
Their   charms   upon   the   merchants'   mat   they 

spread. 
Even  that  sultan  of  the  worlds  of  spring, 
The  proud  Narcissus,  droops  a  golden  head. 


33 

How  shall  this  golden  tyranny  abide  ? 
This  breaking  of  a  people's  heart  and  pride  ? 
There  is  a  bloodstained  sword  in  broken  hearts  ; 
Whom  the  red  steel  doth  follow  woe  betide  ! 


34 

When  tyrants  rule  can  gold  redeem  the  earth  ? 
When  sorrow  haunts   the  home   can  joy  have 

birth  ? 
Not  all  the  promised  aeons  of  delight 
These  seven  dull  days  of  mortal  care  are  worth. 


35 

0  son,  withdraw  your  heart  from  faithless  Time.* 
Let  Faith,  her  husband,  be  your  friend  sublime. 
Be  heartless,  ere  like  me  you  vainly  seek 
To  hold  her  mocking  beauty  with  a  rhyme. 


48  RUBAIYAT  OF  HAFIZ 

36 

Oh  would  that  Fortune  met  me  by  the  way, 
That  changing  Time  would  grant  me  slow  delay, 
And  when  the  reins  fell  from  the  hands  of  youth 
That  Age  might  prove  the  stirrup  for  my  stay. 


37 

In  vain  pursuits  the  random  years  have  flown  ; 
What  gain  is  mine  from  summers  overthrown  ? 
The  friends  of  yore  are  numbered  with  my  foes ; 
The  lilies  fall,  the  roses  all  are  blown. 


38 

Each  day  some  greater  grief  my  heart  hath  borne ; 
Mine  eyes  are  pierced  by  separation's  thorn ; 
And  Destiny  to  all  my  plaint  replies, 
"Another  load  awaits  another  morn." 


39 

Yet  what  avails  to  foam  with  grief  like  wine  ? 
We  may  not  cope  with  sorrows  line  on  line. 
Those  young  fresh  lips  divorce  not  from  the  cup : 
Lips  that  are  young  make  every  draught  divine. 


KUBAIYAT  OF   HAFIZ  49 

40 

Seek  not  to  compass  vengeance  for  thy  wrong, 
But  draw  the  sparkhng  wine  with  mirth  and  song. 
Take  wit  and  wisdom  to  thy  tent  alone ; 
Fools  to  the  company  of  fools  belong. 


41 

Better  the  whole  world  in  a  mortar  bray, 
Dip  in  the  heart's  blood  as  it  ebbs  away, 
Or  drag  a  hundred  years  of  chains  and  gloom, 
Than  for  one  moment  with  a  fool  delay. 


42 

Cease,  cease  to  sorrow  for  a  world  of  sin ; 
Forsake  the  world  and  all  thou  hast  therein. 
Go  !   follow  Love  where  wine-cups  fire  the  gloom, 
Where  the  red  vintage  swells  the  tawny  skin. 


43 

A  girl  whose  figure  shamed  the  cypress  tall 
Let  her  bright  beauty  on  a  mirror  fall. 
I  laid  a  kerchief  at  her  feet.     She  smiled, 
''What  happy  thought  of  union  holds  you  thrall  ? ' 

4 


50  RUBAIYAT   OF   HAFIZ 

44 

Methinks  I  hear  joy  beating  with  his  wings ; 
The  perfume  of  passionate  roses  round  me  clings. 
The  wind  has  caught  a  story  from  her  mouth, 
Oh  rare  and  wondrous  is  the  tale  he  brings  ! 


45 

Return  !  return  !  thou  many- voiced  gale  ! 
Warm  with  my  burning,  her  young  heart  assail ; 
Lest  she  be  angered,  sing  to  her  alone ; 
Yet  in  the  midst  of  maidens  tell  my  tale. 


46 

Whence  did  the  tangles-^of  your  hair  arise  ? 
And  the  dreams  that  haunt  the  shadows  of  your 

eyes  ? 
Since  none  have  shaken  petals  on  your  path 
Oh  whence  the  attar  that  around  you  lies  ? 


47 

The  jasmine  blooms  in  the  shadow  of  your  hair  ! 
Lips  beyond  price,  since  Aden's  pearls  lie  there, 
Like  you,  the  soul  is  ever  wine-inspired  ; 
The  wine's  bright  soul  shines  through  a  form  as 
fair. 


KUBA'IYAT   OF   HAFIZ  51 

48 

Roselit,  my  tears  like  her  twin  roses  show. 

My  heart's  red  blood  through  aching  eyes  doth 

flow 
She  asked  me,  seeking  for  a  fair  reply  : 
"  Why  do  thine  eyes  like  lakes  in  twilight  glow  ?  " 


49 

0  great  of  soul !     How  gladly  would  I  give 
All  that  I  am  to  thee  by  whom  I  live  ! 
If  thou  wouldst  know  the  bitterness  of  hell, 
Pour  friendship's  water  through  an  empty  sieve. 


50 

Sweet  lips  soon  break  the  promise  they  proclaim 
God's  lovers  never  keep  them  from  the  flame  : 
If  the  beloved  yield  to  your  desire, 
Yielding,  she  writes  the  record  of  your  fame. 


51 

I  clung  to  the  beloved's  locks  with  tears ; 
I  said,  "  Be  thou  physician  of  my  fears  ?  " 
She  answered  :    "  Take  me  !  let  my  tresses  go  ! 
Cling  light  to  pleasure,  not  to  length  of  years  ! 


52  RUBAIYAT   OF  HAFIZ 

52 

"  'Twere  folly  to  thyself  to  be  more  kind, 
Or  from  Creation  call  thyself  to  mind. 
Learn  wisdom  from  the  pupil  of  the  eye 
That  looks  on  all  men  yet  to  self  is  blind. 


53 

"  Ask  strength  of  him  who  plucked  at  KLhaibar's  • 

door  ; 
The  gift  of  giving  from  his  slave  implore. 
O  Hafiz,  if  for  grace  of  God  thou  yearn^ 
Ask  of  the  fount  for  wine  of  Kowsar's  store  ; 


54 

**  Then,  long  as  stands  the  heavenly  decree. 
The  wind  shall  tell  the  youngest  rose  of  thee  : 
The  cup  that  lights  the  hand  of  Taktamun  ^ 
Drink,  and  thou  shalt  be  love's  immortally. 


55 

"  Around  Life's  keep  the  rodent  waters  roar  ; 
The  measure  of  our  years  is  brimming  o'er. 
Soon,  soon,  O  friend,  the  janitor  of  Time 
Shall  cast  Life's  chattels  through  the  broken  door, 


RUBAIYAT   OF   HAFIZ  53 

56 

*'  We  hope  for  all  things  from  the  sky's  caress, 
Yet  tremble  as  the  leaf  when  days  grow  less. 
You  said  no  colour  beyond  black  abides  ; 
Then  why  the  snows  upon  the  raven  tress  ? 


57 

Come,  sit  with  love,  and,  while  the  wine-cup  flows 
Enfold  the  cjrpress-form,  the  heart  of  rose  ! 
O  wounded  lover,  seeking  to  be  whole. 
Ask  Hajjam's  *  lancet  of  the  cure  it  knows.'* 


68 

That  night  we  wrought  love's  miracJe  again  : 
For  one  brief  gloom  one  soul  was  born  of  twain. 
Now  death  shall  weary  at  the  springs  of  youth 
By  singing  waters  that  he  sealed  in  vain. 


59 

The  Sultan's  friend,  known  by  the  least  to  fame, 
Giver  of  golden  words  that  all  acclaim. 
Who  goes  from  Shiraz  unto  Samarcand 
Tha.t  Hadji  IJafiz  thrills  not  with  his  name  ? 


54  RUBAIYAT   OF  HAFIZ 

60 

O  thou  great  Almoner  of  human  need, 
Who  solvest  all,  dispensing  blame  and  meed, 
Why  should  I  bare  my  secret  heart  to  thee, 
Since  all  my  hidden  secrets  thou  canst  read  ? 


61 

The  rosebud  hides  herself  for  shame  of  Thee  ! 
Nor  drowsed  Narcissus  dare  to  look  on  Thee  : 
How  can  the  rose  her  sovereignty  proclaim  ? 
Her  light  is  of  the  moon,  the  moon  's  from  Thee. 


^  62 

Blame  not  my  tears  for  the  secret  they  confessed  ; 
Deal  gently  with  a  heart  that  cannot  rest ! 
O  Sufi !   since  thou  knowest  his  desire, 
Scorn  not  the  wanderer  for  the  lifelong  quest ! 


63 

One  that  should  dwell  in  squalor  for  a  space 
Of  former  pride  will  not  retain  a  trace ; 
But  some  poor  stranger  in  a  foreign  land 
Sighs  and  remembers  still  his  native  placet 


RUBAIYAT   OF   HAFIZ  55 

64 

The  way  to  Thee  lies  over  grief  and  pain  : 
The  soul  gropes  on,  the  darkness  doth  remain. 
We  only  look  upon  the  perfect  face 
When  the  lamp  failing,  shows  the  quest  is  vain. 


65 

Till  the  desire  of  love  be  gratified, 
Till  the  body's  kingdom  without  king  abide, 
My  hope  is  ever  of  the  Court  of  God, 
That  all  the  gates  of  joy  be  open  wide 


EXPLANATORY  NOTES  (RUBA'IYAT) 

1  Hdtim  was  the  most  generous  man  of  his  time.  His 
name  is  proverbial  for  generosity  in  the  East  and  has  been 
so  used  by  many  poets. 

2  Kowsar  is  a  spring  in  Paradise.  Its  water  is  as  white 
as  milk  and  as  sweet  as  honey.  It  is  mentioned  in  the 
Quoran. 

^  At  the  time  of  David  the  angels,  getting  jealous  of 
favours  shown  to  mankind  by  God,  complained  of  the  wicked- 
ness of  man. 

To  the  angels  God  said : 

*'  In  mankind,  passion  and  lust  are  the  cause  of  sin.  If 
these  possessed  you — as  they  do — you  would  also  do." 

The  angel  replied : 

**  This  would  never  be." 

God  selected  two  angels  of  the  highest  order  named  Harut 
and  Marut,  and  gave  them  the  same  feelings  as  characterised 
man.  They  were  let  down  at  Babylon.  The  greatest  name 
of  God  (Isme-Azam)  was  taught  to  them,  by  mention  of 
which  they  could  go  up  whenever  they  pleased. 

There  was  a  beautiful  woman,  named  Zohra,  who  sought 
after  the  Isme-Azam,  the  greatest  name  of  God,  and  in  order 
to  know  it  she  used  to  pay  a  visit  to  every  saint  who  made 
his  appearance  in  Babylon.  Having  heard  of  these  angels 
as  saints,  she  paid  a  visit  to  them.  As  ill  luck  will  have  it, 
they  fell  in  love  with  her,  went  to  her  house,  drank  wine, 
worshipped  her  idol,  slew  her  husband,  and,  worst  of  all, 
taught  her  Isme-Azam,  the  greatest  name  of  God,    Zohrg, 

07 


58  EXPLANATORY  NOTES  (RUBAIYAT) 

repeated  the  greatest  name  of  God  and  at  once  ascended  to 
heaven,  and  she  is  now  regarded  as  Venus.  The  angels 
were  condemned,  confined  in  a  well,  chained  upside  down,  and 
now  they  pass  their  time  in  teaching  sorcery.  It  is  for  this 
reason  that  the  well  of  Babil  is  noted  for  its  sorcery. 

^  GhegiL  (1)  A  district  in  Tartary  famous  for  the  beauty 
of  its  inhabitants  ;  or,  (2)  a  fire  temple  wherein  the  att-endants 
held  "  lamps  of  Chegil.'* 

"  Unlike  English  poets  Hafiz  personifies  Time  as  feminine 
and  Faith  as  masculine. 

^  Khaibar  was  a  stronghold  of  the  Jews  near  Medina. 
In  630  Mohammad  took  the  place,  the  gates  being  removed 
by  Ali,  the  fourth  Caliph,  and  used  as  shields. 

^  Taktamun  was  the  cup-bearer  of  Shah  Shuja. 

*  Hajjdm  means  a  surgeon. 


APPENDIX   TO   INTRODUCTION 

The  human  brain  has  everything  dupKcate 
excepting  the  pineal  gland.  This  led  Descartes 
to  think  that  the  interchange  of  energies  between 
mind  and  matter,  two  heterogeneous  entities, 
was  possible  through  it. 

Malebranche  did  away  with  the  idea  of  pineal 
gland  and  in  its  place  added  that  God,  on  every 
occasion  when  an  interchange  of  energies  between 
these  two  entities  was  required,  intervened. 
This  is  called  the  doctrine  of  Occasionalism. 
When  the  Sufi  says  that  nothing  is  possible  with- 
out God  this  is  the  underlying  philosophical 
principle.  Al-Ghazali  had  expressed  the  pre- 
ceding views  long  before  they  were  thought  out 
in  Europe. 

Unlike  Locke,  who  reduces  everything  to 
matter,  Berkeley  reduces  everything  to  ideas. 
There  are  schools  of  Sufis  who  adopt  the  views 
which  coincide  with  the  doctrines  of  Locke  and 
of  Berkeley.  They  are  called  Ahl-ul-Mojassaim 
and  Ahl-ul  Moshabhia  respectively. 

The  theory   of  Monads  of  Leibnit?^  is  that 


60        APPENDIX  TO  INTRODUCTION 

everything  is  like  a  mirror  and  reflects  the  rest 
of  the  world  in  the  degree  of  its  development. 
The  Sufis  adopt  this  notion  when  they  claim  the 
knowledge  of  the  whole  world  at  one  glance, 
and  the  knowledge  of  the  individual  Sufi  is  of  the 
same  stage  as  he  has  attained  to  in  the  scale  of 
Sufiism. 

Kant  says  that  it  is  only  perceptions  which  are 
supplied  by  the  various  organs  of  the  senses  ;  but 
the  form  which  is  the  outcome  of  the  combination 
of  all  these  various  perceptions  is  supplied  by  the 
mind.  The  Sufi  adopts  this  view  when  he  says 
that  everything  is  pure  self ;  that  is  to  saj^  every 
form  which  one  perceives  is  caused  by  the  mind 
and  therefore  from  self. 


Pxinttd  by  JfazeU,  Watson  <fc  Fingy,  l;d.,  London  and  Aylfibury^ 


n/6- 


c 


